to a fault

Idioms

Excessively, extremely, as in He was generous to a fault. This phrase, always qualifying an adjective, has been so used since the mid-1700s. Indeed, Oliver Goldsmith had this precise usage in The Life of Richard Nash (1762).

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Modest to a fault, “Midwinter Break” seems to float like something cautious and wishful, hoping along with the audience that this union’s individual strains will fall into harmony once more.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

Ms. Findlay’s direction is patient to a fault.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

You are, almost to a fault, the caretaker of your loved ones.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 17, 2026

National Rail said the outage had led to a fault with the signalling system which meant lines were currently blocked, leading to many services being cancelled or delayed.

From BBC • Nov. 30, 2025

Gregarious and good-looking, kind to a fault, Lopsang was extremely cocky yet hugely appealing.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023